Tripp Davis, architect, has completed a renovation of the Riverside Course at Atlanta Athletic Club. It includes new playing surfaces and a rerouting six holes.
Northeast of Atlanta, John’s Creek, along the Chattahoochee river, the private club had three goals during the renovation. They wanted to improve the infrastructure, enhance the Riverside terrain and increase the enjoyment and playing experience.
Repositioning green, bunker and tees was a major part of the project. Davis also modified areas to improve drainage, which is part of a new irrigation system. Fairways were sand-capped with Zorro Zoysia and replanted. The primary roughs were covered with Tiftuf Bermudagrass, and the further reaches with a fescue mixture. Some trees were also cut.
Holes No. Davis stated that Holes Nos. 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, and 14 were rerouted in order to make the most of the land.
Davis stated in a media release that he wanted the golfer’s visual perspective to be more interesting. This meant getting the course to flow with the landscape and embrace it. It is a magnificent site with great trees, rolling land, distinct lines and the river. We wanted the golf course not to feel isolated from that. This was made possible by the rerouting of the holes. …
Riverside can be set up as a fun course for members on a daily basis. However, we have included design elements that will allow for high-level events that will test the best players in golf. To give a comprehensive test, we can speed up the greens, grow the rough and use different hole locations. Riverside has a classic feel and playing style. It’s like a course from the 1920s that hasn’t been altered. This is exactly what we wanted. It turned out amazing. It is actually better than I expected. We made minor adjustments, but we didn’t change too much from the original plan. It was all perfect.
The Riverside Course hosted the 1990 U.S. Women’s Open, won by Betsy King, and the stroke play rounds of the 2014 U.S. Open. Amateur. The Highlands Course is also located at the club, and has hosted many national championships. The club was established in Atlanta in 1898. It moved to its current location in 1967.
“Tripp has done a great job reimagining Riverside, making better use of land, creating an unique style, and making it both fun and interesting to learn,” John Stakel (board member, chairman of the Riverside Renovation Committee), stated in the media release. Lukus Harvey (our director of agronomy) will be able to adjust playing conditions to make the course play faster and firmer throughout the year thanks to the infrastructure work.
Below are photos of the course after it was renovated.
